Observations: Hawkeyes Cruise By Nebraska

Keegan Murray Nets Career-Best 37 points in Victory

Five observations from Iowa’s 98-75 win over Nebraska on Sunday.

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER KEEGAN SHOW

Iowa’s Keegan Murray scored a career-high 37 points, but it was the way he did it that was impressive.

He scored 12 points in the 15-0 run the Hawkeyes had to take control of the game in the first half, a sign that the Huskers had no defense for him in this game.

Murray had 24 points in the first half, and finished the game shooting 15-of-21 from the field in almost 29 minutes. He had a plus-minus of 31, the best of any Hawkeye in the game.

“He is the most versatile player in the league,” Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said. “He is a three-level scorer; he can score in the post, the perimeter, and in transition. He is a very difficult cover. He is playing with incredible rhythm and efficiency right now."

FIRST-HALF DOMINATION

The Hawkeyes scored 53 first-half points, the second time this week they topped 50 points in the opening half — they had 57 against Maryland on Thursday.What was impressive was the speed in which the Hawkeyes scored. They had runs of 15-0 and 11-0 in the half, and had 16 fast-break points, compared to zero for the Huskers.

SANDFORT’S EMERGENCE

Iowa freshman Payton Sandfort continues to grow in his role off the bench.Sandfort finished with 12 points, ending what was a big week for him. He had nine points in 14 minutes in Thursday’s win at Maryland.

Sandfort’s length makes him a strong defender, and his ability to make 3-pointers makes him a tough cover.Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said on Saturday that Sandfort is going to be a key part of this team as his career goes on, and Sandfort has been showing that at an important time in the season.

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

Iowa was limping after a double-overtime loss to Penn State on January 22. But since the calendar flipped to February, the Hawkeyes haven’t lost.

They had a 12-point home win over Minnesota in a game they dominated in the second half. They crushed Maryland 110-87 on the road, then came home to get this one.

The Hawkeyes moved to 17-7 overall, but more importantly 7-6 in Big Ten play, the first time they have been above .500 in the conference this season.

It’s possible they could move into the national rankings this week, and they continue to add to their postseason resumé. The competition gets stiffer this week, but the most important thing was they won the games they should have won.

NOT MUCH OF A RIVALRY

Iowa continued its run over the Huskers. The win was Iowa’s third straight over Nebraska in the series and ninth consecutive over the Huskers at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The 98 points were the second-most scored by either team in the 36-game series history — the Hawkeyes had 102 last season.IowaIowa has scored 90 or more points against the Huskers in five of the last six games in the series, dating back to 2019.